Until the end of June this year, the police have handled 19 hand grenades, some of which have not exploded and others that have.
We see that it's a phenomenon that primarily young girls store hand grenades on behalf of criminals in gang environments, says Jon Wåhlander, operational manager for the National Bomb Squad.
The police are now issuing a warning to highlight that anyone who stores or transports hand grenades is putting themselves and people nearby at great risk.
Just in recent weeks, several hand grenades have been seized or detonated.
Found in drawers
A notable case occurred last week, when a hand grenade was thrown into a store in Geneta, Södertälje, and a woman was seriously injured. Two teenagers are being held in custody after the incident.
Earlier in July, a live hand grenade was found on a balcony in Borås.
The police report that in some cases, hand grenades and other explosive devices have been found in, for example, nightstands and drawers at home among young people.
We've had an example where a girl in elementary school age had six live hand grenades hidden at home and was discovered by a grandparent, says Wåhlander.
He doesn't think that those who store hand grenades or other forms of explosives always know how dangerous it is.
They don't come with a job description or warning about how dangerous it is. It can be catastrophic if they're found by a younger sibling, for example.
Never touch
His message to anyone who sees something suspicious is not to touch it under any circumstances.
Keep a distance and call 112, and we'll take care of it.
In 2023, the police seized a total of 37 hand grenades. According to Wåhlander, the hand grenades primarily come from the Balkan region and the war in former Yugoslavia.
Although explosives linked to gang criminality exist throughout the country, hand grenades have mainly been found in metropolitan areas. Jon Wåhlander's tip to adults is to be interested in what young people are doing.
Be curious about your children and be particularly aware of changes in behavior.
Correction: An earlier version contained an incorrect figure for the number of hand grenades handled by the police this year.
